1971 chevy cheyenne 2wd 4wd conversion

[Toadfrog]

Originally Posted by 6thcav

i have an 85 silverado that i bought just as a parts truck i know the wheel base is different but could i use the frame off that to put my 71 chevy on

I just went through that trying to put a '71 chevy on a '78 model frame,the '78 is about 5" longer and prob have to be cut,the different bends in the frames are the biggest issue,the early ones are straight and the later models have a big bend that falls right where the rear of the cab sits,your bed will have to be raised to align your body lines a bout 3".I didnt like what I saw with mine,number 1 it takes a lot of extra work to go that way and 2 for me was how much better they look on a factory early model 4 wheel drive frame,so I backed up and found a rough factory 4 wheel drive to use the frame.Everything bolts right up that way and looks a lot better,I think.I wished I had found this site and asked questions before I started on mine,I hope this helps you